Border Patrol unveils new tool against smugglers

gvnews.com

If you’ve got illegal drugs in your vehicle and you’re lying to the Border Patrol about it, chances are they can see right through you. Literally.

Border Patrol officials on Friday showed off the latest tool to combat a smuggler’s trojan horse: the Z Backscatter Van.

The van contains a portable system that can be deployed anywhere and represents a breakthrough in X-ray technology. In moments it can scan a vehicle and reveal anything from bundles of drugs to car and truck bombs to illegals hiding on board. The photo-like imaging clearly shows the contents of a vehicle or container.

The Border Patrol began using the van Feb. 13, and said it already has paid off in the seizure of 1,500 pounds of marijuana, 30 pounds of cocaine and 17 pounds of methamphetamine, along with many illegal border crossers, according to officials.

The system also can identify low levels of radioactivity from gamma rays and neutrons, making it ideal for detecting dirty bombs and conventional explosives.

When scanning, the unit emits a beam the size of a laser pointer that strikes the target and the X-rays are reflected. This information is then transmitted to a laptop computer in the cab of the van where the images are displayed.